Johnson adjusts to life as Pistons' newest starter

AP File PhotoIn his fourth season, Amir Johnson has stepped into Detroit's starting lineup and will be relied on for all of the hustle plays.

AUBURN HILLS -- It was early in the morning when Amir Johnson squinted out his window.

He saw snow, lots of it. So Johnson, a Detroit Pistons rookie at the time, was looking forward to an unexpected day off.

"I thought everything was shut down, because it was snow all over the ground," said Johnson, who grew up near Los Angeles. "I didn't want to get out of bed, but I called the practice facility, and they said we still had practice."

That would be one of the many adjustments Johnson went through his first season in Detroit.

A lot has changed for the fourth-year forward, a seldom-used reserve his first three seasons to now being a starter.

Johnson's role is simple: provide energy and hustle at both ends of the floor, as well as play solid defense.

So far, Pistons coach Michael Curry is pleased with Johnson's play.

"Amir has been excellent," Curry said. "From top to bottom, he's had the best summer and (training) camp out of everybody. We told Amir this summer, exactly what we wanted out of him, whether he started or came off the bench. He's been great."

Johnson catapulting to the starting lineup might have caught some off guard, considering he replaced veteran Antonio McDyess who is now the first big man off the bench, and beat out Jason Maxiell--a part-time starter last season, and Kwame Brown who is a former No. 1 overall pick.

However, Johnson's teammates knew this day was coming soon.

"The last two years, I thought Amir could be very good in this league," Pistons guard Richard Hamilton said. "He just never got the opportunity."

Playing time is no longer an issue for Johnson.

And to his credit, he's making the most of increased role.

George David, Detroit's director of player personnel, was among the team officials to scout Johnson when he was in high school.

"He was a tremendous shot-blocker in high school, and he had a freakish athletic ability," David said. "Those two things came easy to him, and he was able to consistently hang his hat on that."

But as the Pistons saw more of Johnson, they soon realized there was a lot more to his game.

Most of his scoring was around the basket, but he has worked diligently to develop a 15- to 20-foot jump shot.

Detroit knew his athleticism allowed him to play above the rim, but he has also shown the ability to quickly get from one end of the floor to the other, which has led to easy scoring opportunities for him and the Pistons.

"Amir brings quickness; he's a guy out there that's just as fast as me," Hamilton said. "Athletically, he's great. He's a guy that can block shots. He can rebound. He can do a whole lot of stuff. The key thing for him is his understanding of the NBA game. Once he understands the NBA game, the sky is the limit for him."

Johnson is the last scoring option among the starters. But when teams leave him open, the Detroit coaching staff has encouraged him to take those shots.

The 6-foot-11 forward did just that in Detroit's 85-81 preseason win against the Dallas Mavericks. He had 10 points on 4-for-8 shooting from the field which included a couple of long jumpers.

"I know I can shoot the ball and make shots," Johnson said. "If they do leave me open, I'm going to shoot it."

Pistons guard Chauncey Billups has been among Johnson's teammates to talk to him about shooting when defenses leave him open.

"Those little 15-, 16-foot jump shots, they're going to welcome you to shoot those all season," Billups recalled telling Johnson. "So you have to put in extra work so that when you're in that position, you can knock them down."

Convincing Johnson to work on his game has not been a problem.

"And that's not always the case with young big guys," David said. "But Amir understands that for him to be the kind of player in this league that he wants to be, he's going to have to work."

Johnson said that since coming to the NBA, he has had to take working on his game to another level.

Making that adjustment, he said, was easy.

As far as those snowy days in the winter, Johnson said: "I don't think I'll ever get used to it. But I'm dealing with it."